Suspension system for vehicles



P 1941. N. B. NEWTON SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR VEI'UCLES Filed Sept. I50, 1940 //v VENTORI {M 7m.

- 'lay action of return tion eflect between Patented Sept. 9, 1941 UNITED. ST T S "PATENT OFFICE.

SUSPENSION SYSTEM ron vamcms Noel Banner Newton, Acton, London, England Applicat This invention relates to suspension systems iorvehicles of the kind wherein a spring or a pneumatic or other cushion supports the load through the'medium or a fluid in a shock absomber acting on the principle of restricted fluid displacement.

In such a suspension system, the axle may be able to move in one direction, in advance or the return displacement of the fluid by the cushion, by creating a partial vacuum as by expansion of the vapour of the fluid oroi air or gas contained therein, so that 'such movement would be followed by hydraulic knock when the partsreturn to their normal relative positions as predetermined by the volume of fluid between them.

ion September so, 1940, Serial No. 359,040

Great Britain February 20, I939 14-Claima 01. 267-64) and shock with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal part section or a part of the device showing "a modified arrangement This invention is based on an appreciation that freedom or relative movement for the axle or delay return action of the cushion will be advantageous and the object of the invention is .to provide therefor whilst at the same time preventing hydraulic knock or any such effect.

According to the flrst feature of the invention a spring suspension system for vehicles of the hind wherein a spring, pneumatic or other cushion supports the load through the medium of a non-compressible fluid in a shock absorber acting on'the principle of-restrictedfluid displacement is characterised by means permitting dedisplacement by the cushion relative to the return movement of the displacing member whilst keeping the eflective displacement volume or the shock absorber full oi the fluid.

According to the second ieature of the invention, a system or the hind referred to is characterised by means providing controlled lost mothe displacement member and the cushion by controlled permitted change of volume of the non-compressible fluid between the displacement member and the cushion.

According to the third feature or the inventfiin, a system or the kind referred to is characterised-by means for carrying over the stored energy in the cushion by permitting delay action 0! return displacement by the cushion and simultaneous momentary relative movement between the displacement member and the cushion with maintained full fluid connection between them ready for communication of the next shock .to the cushion duringsuch delay action return.,

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a longitudinal part section oi one example of a combined pneumatic suspension prises a tubular adjustable fluid return.

lateral openings 25 Fig. 4 show another modified arrangement orfithe device'with anexternal auxiliary reservo e In the example of the invention illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, the device comprises a cylinder to at the upper end of which is a space i i i containing air under pressure to form a pneumatic cushion. A mounting bracket we is fixed to the cylinder it. At the upper end is provided a guide block 52 for a rod 68, the purpose of which will be described later,'a double flanged self-sealing gland packing it and .an end cover the fluid pressure to reach the inner face of the flanges of the gland packing to give the selfsealing action.

The space H is separated from the main portlonvoi the cylinder by a partition consisting of two parts i1 and wand located by a ring l9 positioned in a groove in the cylinder. The parts and B8 are secured together by a central bolt 2c and nut 26, the bolt having a large diameter central through passage 22 forming a fluid return passage, in the upper end or which is an adjustable, screw plug 23 with screw-driver .shaped blade-like end ll. In the bolt 20 are adapted to be adjustably closed by the plug 23. In the are through holes it which are in register and which are adapted to be-closed by a disc check valve 21 normally held closed by a spring 28 abutting against a sleeve 20 carried on the rod 30 thereon. The blade 24 or the plug 23 engages a slot lid in the inner end or the rod ii.

The piston oi the shock ed to embody the auxiliary reservoir and combody ll having at its upper end a head 32 incorporating a changeable control disc 33 with through holes 34 limiting the maximum flow. Detachably mounted. in the head are gland packings l5 and a mushroom valve 36 with return spring 31. The stem 01 the valve is formed hollow with a side outlet 30 and is fltted with an adjustable plug 39 with a central through passage which collectively provide an The plug "is secured parts l1 and i8 absorber device made in accordance through holes is for absorber is constructv by a lock nut 46. In the lower'end of the body 3| is flxed a two-part socket 4| for a ball ended connecting link 42, whilst in the hollow body of the piston is an auxiliary piston 43 with a packing 44 and backed by spring 45 "within it Where the parts are the as in Fig. 1 they are given the same reference numerals.

and abutting against the socket 4|. The other end of the link 42 is located'in a. socket in atwopart mounting bracket 46.

In operation, the shock absorber will bearranged upright and not horizontal. Under normal load conditions resilient suspension between the brackets I64 and 46 is provided by the air cushion in the space H. Movement of the piston 3| is controlled under normal load and shock loads by flow oi the fluid through the holes'26 and back through the controlled opening 25, during which time the internal pressures within the. piston 3| are sumcient to keep the auxiliary piston 43 at the bottom of its cylinder and the spring 45 fully compressed. Under such normal conditions it must be understood that the piston 3| will be partly withdrawn from the substantially fully in" position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. The air pressure within the space H is normally suflicient'to return the fluid through the restricted openings 25 fast enough to follow up the piston and prevent the formation, or substant y prevent the formation, 01 a vacuum between the top of the piston and the partition.

Ii the device is applied to a vehicle, in the event however of the wheel being required to follow a pot hole any tendency for the formationof a vacuum owing to the rapid downward movement of the piston to permit the wheel to follow the curvature oi the pot hole, will be prevented by the relatively free entrance of fluid which can occur past the valve 36 from the auxiliary reservoir withinv the piston end with the assistance or the spring 45 acting on the piston 43. Thus, the construction permits change of volume of the non-compressible fluid between the I displacement member or piston 3| and the air cushion in the space I, which is controlled by the valve 36 and which provides a lost motion effect whereby the air pressure in the cushion is not positively related to the relative position or the piston in its cylinder at all times. Air below the piston 43 expands to permit such movement of the fluid. The piston 43 is returned to its normal position as shown by the return flow of fluid through the controlled outlets 35 in the valve 36. When the wheel of the vehicle engages the other side of the pot hole there will be no vacuum knock" within the shock absorber as the space above the piston will be full and the increase of pressure of the air cushion within the space in the upper part of the cylinder is available as pressure on top of the piston, subject of course, to permitted return flow of the extra fluid to the auxiliary reservoir. When the piston in the auxiliary reservoir has again repiston when the piston is commencing to rise,

again.

Fig. 2 shows amodifle'd construction of thethe cylinder is an hind the piston in the .170 p a pressure of As shown, the two parts l1 and I6 oi the partition are secured together by a tube 41 and nut 45, whilst the disc valve 21 is returned by a spring 46 having an abutment ring 50 adjustably mounted on a tube 41. Within the tube is a screwed plug 5| having a screw-driver head 52 similar to that of the plug 23, the lower end of such plug being hollow and having side openings 53. In the tube are side openings 54 adapted to be adjustably closed by the plug 5|. Instead of the valve 36 the piston head is formed with through passages 55 normally closed by a ring 56 under the action of a spring 51 with adjustable abutment ring 53 carried by a-tube 56. ,Within the tube 56 is an adjustable tube 60 closed at its lower end and secured by a nut 5| and having apertures 52'adapted .to be wholly or partly ex posed below the lower end of the tube 59. The rest of the shock absorber parts may be con-' structed asshown in Fig. 1 or according to usual shock absorber practice.

As shown in Eng; 3, connected to the. side of auxiliary reservoir 63 containing a piston 54 and a lively spring 65 behind it, the piston having a stop 56, to engage the end of the cylinder so as to provide a definite limit to its movement and avoid breakage of the spring. This auxiliary cylinder is connected with the space immediately below the partition l8, shown in chain line, in the cylinder, by passages 61, one only of' which is shown, having a control disc valve 63 mounted on pins 66 with return springs 13, and by one central communicating passage 1| with adjustable valve screw 12, so that fluid can flow relatively freely through the passages 61 from the-auxiliary reservoir into the cylinder whilst its return through the passage 1| is relatively restricted. The spring 65 beauxiliary reservoir is of and a lively nature, so as relatively small gradient within the reservoir, but lower in pressure than the normal pressure which will obtain in the main cylinder. iliary. reservoir and the such that the flow passage to the cylinder is at a large static deflection,

lower level than the return passage, and is covthe partition or it may comprise the construction of parts as shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 4 an auxiliary chamber 13 is mounted on the outside of the cylinder so as to provide an air pressure space 14, a restricted inflow through a 16 with spring 66 and throughholes 6| in the wall 01 the cylinder in, shown in chain line. ment the main piston could be plain. The other parts of the shock absorber, not shown, may be constructed as described with reference to Fig. 2.

.The operation 01' the device with modifications of the invention described in Figs. 2. 3 and 4 The communication between the auxmain cylinder may be below the partition |8 there- With such an arrangeto vary the amount of will obviously be the same in principle as described for the example of Fig. 1.

The invention is obviously not limited to the examples above described as obviously more than one auxiliary reservoir may be provided with different loading therein, so that intermediate conditions between normal and abnormal may re-, suit in operation of one or more of such auxiliary reservoirs, resulting in modiflcationof the action. oi the shock absorber under intermediate conditions.

Also, the invention may be applied to doubleacting or two-way shock absorbers so as to obtain the efiect ineither or crease of pressure within the cushions will occur to stifien up the suspension system in both directions.

Again, it may be desirable to apply the invention to the elastic fluid medium of the air cushion by arranging for temporary displacement or v part of the air cushion into an auxiliary chamber, or displacement from an auxiliary chamber air momentarily available as the efiective cushion so as thus to modify the action of the shock absorber.

It is also obvious that'the invention is applicable where part of the load is supported by spring -or cushion means not operating through the medium oi the non-compressible fluid in the shock absorber but in such case the delay action or lost motion provided by the present invention will only be efiective as regards that portion of the both directions oiv movement with the result that a temporary in-' supporting spring or cushion whichdoesoperate through the fluid medium.

What I claim is: 1. A spring suspension system for vehicles comprising in combination a cushion member and a to flow away from the cushion and an auxiliary reservoir with cushion member therein connected to the shock absorber for flow oi fluid by pressure diflerence between the shock absorber and the auxiliary reservoir, adjustable flow control means between them and stop means positively limiting the yield of the cushion member in the auxiliary reservoir,

l 2. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, a partition in the cylinder dividing ofl a cushion space, a non-compressible fluid in the effective displacement volume between the piston'and the partition, passages permitting relatively free flow of fluid into the cushion space and relatively restricted flow therefrom and a closed auxiliary fluid chamber connected to the efiective displacement volume through passages permitting relatively free flow of fluid from the auxiliary chamber and relatively restricted return flow thereto.

3. A'resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder; a partition in the cylinder dividing of! a cushion space, a non-compressible fluid in the eflective displacement volume between the piston and the partition, passages permitting relatively free flow of fluid into the cushion space and relatively restricted flow therefrom and a closed auxiliary fluidchamber connected to the eflective displacement volume through passages permitting'relatively tree flow of fluid from the auxiliary chamber and relatively restricted return flow thereto, the auxiliary fluid chamber being embodied in the piston.

s. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a cylinder, a piston slldably mounted in the cylinder, a'partition in the cylinder dividing ofl a cushion space, a noncompressible fluid in theeflective displacement volume between the piston and the partition, passages permitting relatively free flow orfluid into the cushion space and relatively restricted .flow therefrom and a closed auxiliary fluid chamber connected to the efiective displacement volume through passages permitting relatively free flow oi fluid from, the auxiliary chamber and relatively restricted return flow thereto, the auxiliary fluid chamber being external 0! the cylinder.

5. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, a partition in the cylinder divid ing ed a cushion space, a non-compressible fluid in the eflective displacement volume between the piston and the partition, passages permitting relatively free flow of fluid into the cushion space and relatively restricted flow therefrom and a closed auxiliary fluid chamber connected to the efiective displacement volume through passages permitting relatively free flow of fluid from the auxiliary chamber and relatively restricted return flow thereto, a piston within the auxiliary fluid chamber, cushion means behind the piston and a positive stop for the piston limiting the reception volume of the auxiliary fluid chamber.

6. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, a partition in the cylinder dividing ofi a cushion space, a non-compressible fluid in the eflective displacement volume between efiective displacement volume through passages permitting relatively free flow of fluid from the auxiliary chamber and'relatively restricted return flow thereto, a piston within the auxiliary fluid chamber, cushion means behind the piston and a positive stop for the piston limiting the reception volume to the auxiliary fluid chamber, the cushion member behind the piston in the auxiliary fluid chamber being of relatively low power so that the piston is normally located against its stop by reason of the fluid pressure within the shock absorber.

7. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising acylinder, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder, a partition in the cylinder dividing oil a cushion space, a non-compressible fluid in the eflective' displacement volume between the piston and the partition, passages permitting relatively free flow oi fluid into the cushion space and relatively restricted flow therefrom and a closed auxiliary fluid chamber connected to the eflfectlve displacement volume through passages permitting relatively free flow or fluid irom-the auxiliary chamber and relatively restricted retum flow thereto, a piston within the auxiliary fluid chamber, cushion means behind the piston. a positive stop for the piston limiting the reception volume of the auxiliary fluid'chamber and adjustable flow control means between the auxiliary chamber and the cylinder, the cushion member behind the piston in the auxiliary fluid chamber being of relatively low power so that the piston is normally located against its stop by reason of the fluid pressure within the shock turn flow thereto, a piston within the auxiliary fluid chamber, cushion means behind the piston, a positive stop for the piston limiting the reception volume of the auxiliary fluid chamber and externally adjustable flow control means hetrolling the admission of the supplementary fluid.

12. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a shock absorber having a fluid displacing member, a receiving space ior displaced fluid with an intervening controlling flow passage, the volume of which space is independent of the movement of the displacing member and a cushion member acting on the displaced fluid,

in combination with means operating by pressure difference for momentarily supplementing the volume of fluid between the displacement member and the cushion member by admitting supplementary fluid between the displacement member and the said controllingv flow passage so as to permit advance return moement of -the displacement member relative to displaced fluid return by the cushion member, said means comprising an auxiliary fluid reservoir with a cushion member therein to provide the pressure tween the auxiliary chamber and the cylinder,

the cushion member behind the piston in the auxiliary fluid chamber being or relatively low power so that the piston, is normally located against its stop by reason of the fluid pressure within the shock absorber.

9. A resilient suspension system for vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the positive stop is an element additional to the cushion means in the auxiliary fluid chamber.

10. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising'a shock absorber having a fluid displacing member, a receiving space for displaced fluid with an intervening controlling flow passage, the volume of which space is independent of the movement of the displacingmember and a cushion member acting on the displaced fluid, in combination with means operating by pressure difference for momentarily supplementing the volume of fluid between the displacement member and the cushion member by admitting supplementary fluid between the displacement member and the said controlling flow passage so as to permit advance return movement oi the displacement member relative to displaced fluid return by the cushion member.

11. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a shock absorber having a fluid displacing member, a receiving space for displaced fluid with an intervening controlling flow passage, the volume of which space is independent of the movement of the displacing member and a cushion member acting on'the displaced fluid, in combination with means operating by pressure diflerence for momentarily supplementing the volume of fluid between the displacement member and the cushion member by admitting supplementary fluid between the displacement member and the said controlling flow passage so as to permit advance return movement oi the displacement member relative to displaced fluid return by the cushion member and means condifference. 1

13. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a shock absorber having a fluid displacing member, a receiving space for. displaced fluid with an intervening controlling. flow passage, the volume of which space is independent oi the movement of the displacing memberand a cushion member acting on the displaced fluid, in combination with means operating by pressure diflerence for momentarily supplementing the volume of fluid between the displacement member and the cushion member by admitting supplementary fluid between the displacement member and the said controlling flow passage so as to permit advance return movement of the displacement member relative to displaced fluid return by the cushion member, said means comprising an auxiliary fluid reservoir with a cushion'member therein to provide the pressure diflerence and means controlling ,the flow oi fluid to and from the auxiliary fluid reservoir arranged to provide relatively free flow irom the same.

14. A resilient suspension system for vehicles comprising a shock absorber having a fluid displacing member, a receiving space for displaced fluid with an intervening controlling flow passage, the volume of which space is independent of the movement of the displacing member and a cushion member acting on the displaced fluid, in combination with means operating'by pressure diflerence ior momentarily supplementing the volume of fluid between the displacement member and the cushion member by admitting supplementary fluid between the displacement member and the as to permit advance return movement or the displacement member relative to displaced fluid return by the cushion member, said means comprising an auxiliary fluid reserv member therein to provide the pressure diner- .ence and adjustable means controlling the flow oi fluid to and from the auxiliary fluid reservoir arranged to provide relatively free flow from the same.

' NOEL BANNER NEWTON.

said controlling flow passage so oir with a cushion 

